DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 November 1924, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

(by telegraph—per tress association. dispute: oyer got.d nugget. USED FOR ADVERTISEMENT. BLEXHEtAI. November 27. Some time ago Geoffrey Morton, an old fossicker on the Mahakipawn goldfields. .secured a 2', 07.. nugget worth approximately £lO. He pledged this with ft'. E. Berry, a Picton storekeeper with a branch at Mahakipawn, as security for an account which he owed the storekeeper. Then the directors of the Ma’.hakipnwa Goldifiohls Ltd., a Christchurch company, came on the scene and desired the use of the nugget for advertising purposes. They obtained Morton's consent and ultimately secured the nugget from Ilerry by forwarding him £ls as security for its return.

The sequel was an action in the Magistrate's Court to-day in which Philip Walter Sonnes, of Christchurch, one of the directors of Mahakipawn Goldfields Ltd., sued to recover the £l.l from Berry in return for the nugget. Evidence for the plaintiff had been taken in Christchurch. The defence was that Berry had sold the nugget straight out to Son lies for Bin. Mr K. Mnunsell, S.M., asked whether the direc tors intended to give the impression that the nugget came from the company's claims.

Mr C. H. Mills, for tlie defendant replied that he was certain that that was not their intention. Apparently their idea was merely to show prospective shareholders the nature of the gold which had been obtained in the past cm the Mahakipawn fields. In the course of his judgment. Air Mnunsell stated lliat there was no evidence of contract nf lean between Berry and Soanes. The contrac t seemed to have been with Morton, and if the plaintiff had any remedy against anyone it was against Morton. Judgment was given for defendant, ■with costs according to scale.

LADY STEWARD DEAD. AUCKLAND, November 27. Lady Steward, wife of tlie late Sir William Jukes Steward, ox-Speakcr of 11io House of Representatives, died at Devonport' to-night.

ILLEGAL LOTTERY. AUCKLAND, November 27. At the Police Court George Joseph Silver pleaded guilty to having commenced lotteries at ilolensville and Auckland. In a statement to the police licensed said lie had not long been out of the prison farm, and had clone casual work only, lie ordered a thousand tickets, selling about twenty ai 2s (id at Ilolensville, and eight or ten at Auckland, lie admitted that lie bad not (lie Minister’s permission. The .Magistrate remarked that accused previously had been sentenced lor a similar offence, lie was fined Cot). in dolault two months’ imprisonment.

SWIMMING. CIIIMSTCIIFRCII. Nov. 2'J. At the annual meeting ol the Council ~f tlie New Zealand Amateur Swim, tiling Assoc iation Mr \\ . h. D. Bishop, of Christchurch, was elected Piesidenl. The programme for the Dominion Championships as .submitted by Canterbury was approved. \A V \ L * < *.\ I* i :i.‘FN< 'E. WELLINGTON. November 28. Commodore A lister Beal w ill reptesent New Zealand at the coming naval conference at Singapore, lie will have as staff uMher. Paymaster Lieut. Prophit. They will .go via Sydney towards the end of January. INO BEST VERDICT. DUNEDIN. November 2==. At the inquest cm Eliza Jam* Sodden. the evidence showed that deceased; stilfercd from insomnia. The medical evidence was that death was consistent with poisoning. 'The Coroner, in returning a verdict that deceased died from the elfeels of poisoning, said dial she evidently had made a mistake m t;l|;illjr poiscH tol* IIH»lli<*iIII*.